Immediate end to free movement after Brexit

Europeans staying for longer than six months may be required to register for residence cards, including fingerprintingOli Scarff/Getty Images

Britain will introduce curbs on EU migrants straight after Brexit to force all but the most highly skilled workers to leave after two years under draft Home Office plans leaked yesterday.

Europeans without a job would be blocked from staying for more than a few months after March 2019, when Britain exits the EU, according to an 81-page blueprint for Britain’s future immigration system. Those arriving for longer than six months may be required to register for residence cards, including fingerprinting, it says.

British business will be encouraged in the longer term to “meet their needs from resident labour”, forcing them to complete an “economic needs test” before hiring from abroad, the document suggests.